Modern civil construction makes extensive use of prestressed, precast concrete beams. In many regions of the United States, parking garages and other buildings can be quickly, economically and profitably constructed using precast, prestressed beam members. Double tee beam shapes are widely used; typically, these members can have a top flange width of 8 to 10 feet, a total flange-and-web depth of up to 48 inches, and a length of 60 feet.
To reduce floor-to-floor building height without losing necessary strength in the structural beam members, the web ends of these tees or double tee members can be provided with "daps." A "dap" design provides a recess in the lower corners of the beam web. When the beam is installed in the building, this recess or notch mates with a haunch, pilaster or other supporting structure, and the mating arrangement accordingly reduces the floor-to-floor height of the building. Proper steel reinforcement of the dapped beam ends is important.
At present, significant quantities of these precast, prestressed concrete members are manufactured by specialized manufacturing or precasting companies, and the finished beams are sold to the building construction contractor on an as-needed, where-needed basis. But the precasters are required to assemble and weld their own steel reinforcing systems for the beams and other members they are casting. The proper and economical fabrication of the dap reinforcing structures can be particularly difficult, time consuming and expensive. Economies of scale and mass production are only minimally available to the precaster who manufactures his own reinforcing assemblies. And if special steel rod sizes or other steel shapes are found to be desirable from a design standpoint, the manufacture and purchase of such special shapes can be prohibitively expensive if only a few are needed.
It is accordingly a general object of the invention to offer a standardized dapped end reinforcing steel assembly especially designed for precast, prestressed concrete beam members.
A related object is to provide such assemblies which can be manufactured and offered to precasting companies at an attractive price.
To accomplish these objects, a steel reinforcing assembly, especially adapted for effective use with dapped beam ends, is provided. The reinforcing assembly includes a horizontally disposed bearing plate, and a vertically oriented planar reinforcing mesh extending above, below and inboard of the bearing plate. The vertical reaction bar is connected to the vertically oriented reinforcing mesh at a horizontal position inboard of the bearing plate. A horizontal reinforcing bar is oriented parallel to but is spaced from the vertically oriented planar reinforcing mesh.
Other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference through the drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.